Slow Motion
Asa
As soon as Keelie was stitched up, she was hell-bent to get home. I put her and Emma in my truck and promised we’d leave soon. Emma was shaken and became a mute when the police wanted to question them. With no fucking idea what to do with her, I arranged for detectives to come to Keelie’s later so I could at least get them out of here.
I did find out while holding Keelie as she tensed under the needle and thread, that she saw handguns pointing out the windows of a blue sedan. It couldn’t have been too high of a caliber. No way would they have lived through that barrage of gunfire otherwise, even inside the van.
After taking a quick look at my house where the front rooms were shot to fucking shit, I instructed Levi to get all the computers and tablets and pack what he needed for at least the weekend. I went to Emma’s room and stuffed a bag full of whatever I thought she might want for the next few days and did the same for myself. That’s when I came back down the stairs to find Crew in my office, boxing up anything and everything that has to do with our work.
He looks up from the box he’s throwing shit into. “Have you talked to Carson yet?”
I toss three huge duffels by the front door. “I haven’t had a chance. I didn’t want to call him in front of Keelie. Has he pulled the video?” I have cameras all around my house and I’m anxious to see the footage.
“Yeah. It should be in your email. Call me after you watch it. We have a make and model—no plates. They were wearing masks, so no facial recognition. It was sloppy and elementary, but you never know. It could be blowback on us, but my gut’s telling me it’s not. They had no aim, shot high, and didn’t know what the fuck they were doing if their goal was to kill someone. This screams street thugs, not cartel or terrorists.”
Either way, the need to avenge my daughter and Keelie from attempted murder while sitting in front of my house has lit a fuse I’m having a hard time quenching.
Levi jogs down the stairs with bags strung over both shoulders and more in his hands. His face is tight and I can’t tell if it’s fear or anger.
“Get that to your Jeep—we’re going to Keelie’s. I don’t know what this is about, but if someone is targeting me and knows about her, I’m not leaving her to that. We’re staying with her for the time being.”
“Does she know this?”
“She will soon enough.” I look to Crew. “Can you handle this? I need to get Emma out of here and Keelie home to her kids.”
“Go. We’ve got this covered. I’ll have new motion detectors installed outside on the perimeter by tonight and the cameras are still working,” Crew says.
I pick up my bags and turn to my son. “Let’s get them out of here. I’m gonna have to call your mom—I’m not looking forward to that.”
*****
I pull into Keelie’s drive, and just like always, the animals do their thing. Grady’s Escalade and Crew’s old truck are parked in the front, but just like I instructed, no one’s outside but Ozzie. He’s standing guard in the front of the house like I asked.
“Where are the kids?” Keelie’s been busy on her phone the whole drive here, but now her voice is sharp with an edge of anxiety that makes me want to rip my steering wheel off. “And who’s he?”
I reach over and take her hand as I pull into her driveway. “I told Maya to keep them inside for now, they’re good. That’s Ozzie. He’s training under us. He’s been with us for months so I know he’s solid. The kids are fine, Keelie.”
She pulls her hand from mine. “Why is he here? And why wouldn’t my kids be fine?”
I throw my truck in park and look to Emma in the backseat. “Go on in. Maya’s here and I’m sure she’s got the kids with her. You can help, but don’t say a word about what happened today in front of Knox and Saylor.”
Emma doesn’t make a move and hugs her middle. “Where are we going to stay?”
Levi has pulled up and is already unloading bags from the back of his Jeep.
Keelie looks to Levi and then back to me. “What’s going on?”
I keep my eyes on Emma. “It’s a big house—we’re staying here. Go on inside with Maya. I’ll get the bags.”
Keelie’s eyes go big, but she waits for Emma to trudge out of the truck and slam the door before she exclaims, “You’re staying here?”
I start to grab my shit. “Yes.”
Her voice rises. “You’re not staying here!”
I look to her and sigh. “I’m not leaving you and your kids alone after what happened.”
“We’ll be fine. We’ve been fine alone for a long time,” she insists.
“Maybe,” I agree. “But you’ve also never been shot at, that I know of.”
Sarcasm seeps through her anger. “No, Asa. Unlike your chosen profession, being a mom, a lobbyist, and a counselor has been pretty mundane. Today was a first for me.”
I lean in to cup her cheek and lower my voice, but still lay it out the way it’s gonna be, because there’s no fucking way I’m leaving them alone. “I’m sorry, baby. You don’t know how sorry I am. I need to figure out who shot at you and why. People are working on that as we sit here arguing, but until I know you’re not a target because of me, there’s no way I’m leaving you alone. Now, get in the house and go see your kids.”
She doesn’t move a muscle. Fuck, she’s got an iron cage built around her. “I could be a target because of you?”
I feel myself become rigid at her words, hating it could be true even though it doesn’t add up. Especially when I told her I’d taken all the precautions to prevent that from happening. I don’t answer, which must be answer enough.
She jerks her face out of my hand and reaches for her door, muttering, “Fucking great.”
I watch her stalk through the garage still in her heels, my shirt swallowing her with her short skirt peeking out the bottom. I shake my head and think it’s too late to leave her be, not that I want to. No fucking way will I leave her now.
*****
Keelie
I walk into my kitchen and stop in my tracks. There’s a tall, beautiful blond woman standing by the counter holding a wiggling baby in her arms. Knox, Saylor, and a dark-haired little boy are next to her. All the kids are sitting at the bar eating bananas smeared with peanut butter.
The woman’s face lights up when she sees me. “You must be Keelie. I’m Maya Cain, Grady’s wife.”
After all that’s happened—living through a drive-by shooting, getting grazed by a bullet, having stitches administered without anesthetic, learning Asa and his children will be staying at my house tonight, a man named Ozzie standing guard outside, and a beautiful blonde with extra kids standing in my kitchen—I have no words. I’m all out of common niceties for the day and give my head a little shake. “Yeah. I just met Grady.”
“He works with Asa.” She offers me a kind smile, no doubt knowing exactly what I’ve lived through this afternoon since she probably dropped everything to look after two kids she doesn’t know.
Hmm, this Grady must be another retired assassin. Interesting. And after this afternoon, seriously fucking scary.
“These are my kids, Cayden and Chloe,” she introduces the two extra miniature bodies in the room. “I hope you don’t mind me bringing them. We’ve just been getting to know Knox and Saylor.”
My brain, which has been spinning for the last hour and a half, has screeched to a weird sort of slow-motion marathon. With the mention of my kids, my eyes move to them, taking them in for the first time since I was the target of what felt like ten million bullets.
“Hey, guys,” I breathe, seeing my kids no worse for the wear, not missing me at all or bothered by the fact a complete stranger is here with them with no explanation from me.
“I told them about your car problems.” Maya raises a brow and tips her head, speaking the silent universal female language we’re all wired to understand—informing me of the lies she fed my kids so I would be able to carry on her untruths like any good mother would after being the victim of a drive-by shooting. She gives me another genuine smile, this time with a shrug. “All I had to say is we’re friends of Levi and Emma’s and we were in like Flynn.”
As grateful as I am, I guess I need to have another conversation with my children about strangers.
“Mommy, that’s a funny shirt,” Saylor mumbles with her mouth full as she licks peanut butter off her fingers
I look down at myself, still willing my brain to catch up. “Oh. Well, I spilled—”
“Mom, did you know bananas are a natural energy booster?” Knox interrupts me.
I frown, doing my best to keep up. “What?”
“Yeah,” he says, his mouth stuffed, yet still regurgitating facts like he always does. “It lasts longer than your disgusting-smelling coffee. It’s good for us after a long day of school.”
“Where…” I’m suddenly feeling achy and lean into the counter. “Where did you learn that?”
“She told us,” Saylor informs me, pointing to Maya. “I got to hold her baby, but she said we couldn’t play outside ‘til you got home. Can I go out with the goats now?”
“Maybe later,” I hear from behind me and see Asa stalking into the house. He’s carrying so many bags, I don’t even want to think about how long he plans to stay. Levi is following him with just as many of his own. Asa looks to my daughter and keeps talking. “We’ll order Brooklyn Brothers for dinner.”
“Yay!” Saylor exclaims and jumps down from the bar.
“Wash your hands, baby,” I mutter, trying to get my bearings.
“What’s in all the bags?” My son isn’t only smart, he’s aware of everything around him. I always say he’ll make the best husband someday because of it.
“Nothing—” I start, but of course, Asa interrupts.
“We’re staying the weekend.” He looks from Knox to me and I feel his hand press in on the small of my back. “Your mom had some car problems and I don’t want to leave her stranded.”
I close my eyes and finally release the tension I’ve been holding since Emma and I had to take cover in my van, because really, I’m exhausted. So what if I have three extra people sleeping in my house tonight? I can handle this just like I handled being shot at.
I’ve handled worse.
I stand up straight and walk over to Saylor who’s climbed up onto the counter to wash her hands. I kiss her forehead and go to Knox to do the same before turning to Maya. “Thanks for dropping everything to get my kids off the bus.”
She shifts her baby girl to her other arm as she studies me. “We should get together soon. I can have Grady get with Asa and Crew. You can meet Addy, too. We’ll have dinner.”
I can’t think of having dinner with anyone right now, so I lie and shrug, feeling it in my shoulder. “Yes. Dinner. Dinner sounds good.”
She gives me a small smile that doesn’t say she’s looking forward to dinner. She’s regarding me like I’m a weird science experiment on the verge of eruption.
Well, she doesn’t know me. I don’t explode.
I take care of shit when life goes awry.
I turn to Asa. “You can put Emma in Saylor’s room. She hasn’t slept in there in years—the sheets are clean. Levi can go to the guest room on the third floor. You,” I add and don’t feel the least bit bad about it, “can take the sofa.”
Asa narrows his eyes, probably also waiting for me to spew like a Mentos tossed into a two-liter.
I look at Maya one last time. “It was good to meet you. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to change into something more comfortable.”
Her eyes shoot between Asa and me before helping her little guy down from my bar stool. “We’ll get out of your way. Let us know if you need anything.”
I force a fake smile knowing I won’t need a thing. “I appreciate it.”
Finally, I stalk out of my kitchen, leaving them all.
*****
Asa
It’s late. I shut and lock the front door to Keelie’s house as the detectives leave. There was so much evidence at my house to process, they just made it here to question Emma and Keelie. Levi kept Knox and Saylor occupied with video games, but as much as we all tried, I’m pretty sure Knox knows something else is going on besides his mom having car problems.
We ate pizza and Keelie had baked ziti, even though she just picked at it. I got my kids settled in their rooms while Keelie bustled around her house like a fucking elf getting ready for Christmas. I couldn’t get the woman to sit still, so I finally gave up and let her run circles—doing laundry, making sure everyone had towels, organizing the closet in Saylor’s room for Emma. She even cleaned out her fucking refrigerator. Every damn thing came out of it and she scrubbed until it shined from the inside out.
I focused on Emma. If she’d made any progress in the last week, it was all for nothing, and if I’m honest with myself, today dug me into a deeper hole than where I started. She wouldn’t talk and barely answered the detectives’ questions, leaving it all to Keelie, who handled the interview like a press secretary in the middle of World War III.
I didn’t learn anything new from what Keelie told me earlier in the back of the ambulance. I sent the surveillance videos to the police for their investigation, but I doubt they’ll get further than we have, which isn’t saying much. Carson doesn’t have any leads and, like Crew, he doesn’t think it’s tied to our work which makes me think it could be tied to what happened to Levi at school.
Crew and Grady are working that angle now.
“I’m going to bed,” Emma mutters, as she trudges past me, heading for the stairs.
I catch her and pull her into my arms. “You promise me you’re okay?”
She stiffens before giving me a compulsory hug that isn’t genuine. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Did you talk to your mom?”
She pushes away from me and rolls her eyes. “Yeah, for what seemed like forever. Can I go to bed now?”
I sigh, knowing how she feels. Danielle reamed my ass for more than thirty minutes over what happened, like I asked for someone to shoot up my house.
I go into Keelie’s family room where I find Saylor sitting on my son’s shoulders with a video game controller balanced on his head. I’ve never seen the child with anything but off-the-wall energy, but she finally looks tired, slumped over the top of Levi.
Knox is sprawled on the floor but the second I enter, he comes alert. “What did they want?”
I give him a shrug and play it off. “They towed your mom’s van and just had some questions. What are you playing?”
“Time for bed,” Keelie butts in. She walks around me and plucks Saylor off of Levi’s shoulders. “You’re lucky Levi doesn’t have personal space issues.”
Keelie winces as she lifts Saylor, favoring her shoulder. I step forward and take the child from her arms before she rips out her stitches. I made her take some ibuprofen when we got home but that was hours ago. I’m sure it’s worn off by now.
Saylor comes to me easy, curls her body around me and tucks her head into my neck. Keelie seems taken aback, her face frozen in place for a moment before she turns to Knox and Levi. “Knox, bedtime. Thanks for hanging out with them, Levi. There are towels in the bathroom on the third floor and a TV in the guest room. Help yourself.”
“Thanks, Ms. Lockhart,” Levi says, moving to grab his bag and head upstairs.
“I’ll carry her. Lead the way,” I say.
I follow everyone and Levi continues one more flight to Keelie’s guest room. I trail behind her and Knox to his room and set Saylor down.
She rubs her eyes but doesn’t look at me when she mumbles, “Thanks, Asa.”
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” I look at Keelie. “I’ll be downstairs.”
I check my emails, text Crew and Grady about my house and Keelie’s car, and pull up the video of the drive-by one more time. I put my phone on silent and watch it over and over, wondering what we’re missing.
I hear her come back down the stairs and when she comes around the corner, she eyes me before going straight to the kitchen. I get up and follow, fucking finally ready to have a minute alone. Having four kids around is not without its drawbacks, especially when I want to know what she’s thinking.
She never changed out of my shirt. She slipped on a pair of wide, loose pants, and the only curve I see on her is where my shirt hangs on her tits. She’s pulled her hair up high and washed all the makeup from her face.
“You hungry?” I start.
Not looking at me, she heads to her laundry room and mutters, “No.”
I hear her banging around and I can tell she’s changing laundry again. Holy hell, how much laundry can she have? She’s been at it all night.
When she finally comes out, she’s on a mission and doesn’t look at me. I catch her by the arm as she tries to breeze by and I demand, “Slow down.”
She glares and tries to shrug out of my hold. “I can’t. I have things I want to get done before tomorrow.”
I tip my head. “What could possibly need doing before tomorrow?”
She pulls again and I let go of her arm. “I have files to go over this weekend. My underclassmen are picking courses for next year. I have to approve them. If I get them done tonight, I can spend more time with the kids this weekend.”
I ignore all that. “Did you take something else for the pain?”
She rubs her arm under her stitches. “I just did.”
“Sit down and take a load off. Your files can wait ‘til tomorrow.”
She takes a step backward. “No. If I get them done tonight, I won’t have it looming over me the rest of the weekend.”
“Keelie—” I try, but she keeps talking.
“I’d like to keep painting the third floor tomorrow. All I have left are the wall—”
I’ve had enough.
Stepping forward, I catch her off guard and pin her against the counter.
“It’s time to stop for the day,” I demand.
Her face hardens and she tries to push against me. “Move.”
“No. I want to talk about what happened this afternoon.”
“I talked to you about it in the ambulance. I sort of talked about it on the way home. Then I talked to you and the police about it for longer than I cared to, rehashing events I want to put out of my mind. I’m done talking.”
“Okay,” I lower my voice and bring my hands up to cup her cheeks. “I don’t want to talk about today. I want to know if you’re okay.”
“I feel a little stiff from the stitches, but I’m sure the meds will kick in soon.”
I lean into her and whisper, “I’m not talking about your shoulder.”
I feel her chest rise against mine—her breathing quickens and her nostrils flare. Her hands come up to my forearms, but I hold steady.
“Dammit,” her voice shakes. “Let me go.”
I lean in closer. “You were shot at today.”
She rolls her lips together and her brow puckers.
I tip my head so our lips are almost touching and add, “Emma is alive because of you.”
I feel her labored breath on my face and her grip tightens.
“Could have lost my daughter today.”
She shakes her head in my hands, her voice croaks, “Stop. Please, stop talking.”
I don’t give her what she wants. “Could’ve lost you, too, baby.”
Her eyes well, and instead of trying to pull away from me, this time her body seeps into mine. She can barely be heard when she whispers, “My kids—they can’t go through that again.”
I lean in, press my lips to hers, murmuring, “I know.”
“They can’t,” she gasps, her breaths coming in short pants, her lungs desperate for air. Her movements are almost violent as she shakes her head. “They can’t lose another parent. I can’t let that happen.”
And just in time, I bring my arms around her when she falls apart.